Waukegan Mayor Wayne Motley will collect two pensions when he retires

Wayne Motley made nearly $133,600 last year as the mayor of Waukegan, according to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, so when he leaves office next month, he'll take a pay cut.

But between the two pensions he'll collect, based on his service as mayor and city clerk and for the Waukegan Police Department, Motley, 66, will still make nearly six figures next year, according to a News-Sun analysis.

The analysis is conservative because the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund does not calculate or estimate pensions for its members until they retire, and Motley is still collecting a paycheck until Ald. Sam Cunningham, 1st, replaces him in May. Cunningham defeated Ald. Lisa May, 7th, in a tightly contested mayoral election this week after topping Motley in the Democratic primary.

The News-Sun analysis used the 15 full years Motley served as clerk and mayor, from 2002 to 2016. It did not use the partial years Motley served in 2001 – the year he took office as clerk – and in 2017 because the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund has not yet released the exact number of months and days that will count toward his pension. Motley's salary increases in 2015 and 2016, plus the extra months of service in 2001 and 2017, suggest his actual pension would be slightly larger than the one calculated by the News-Sun.

Motley's retirement as mayor comes during an era in Illinois when municipalities across the state, and politicians in Springfield, are grappling with rising pension costs, which threaten the long-term viability of government services.

The News-Sun estimate shows Motley, under the conditions previously described, would earn nearly $32,100 in the first year after leaving office. The pension gives Motley an annual raise of 3 percent, based on the original amount, which would be about $963 in the analysis.

Motley also collects a police pension that is operated by the city. He served as an officer from 1975 to 2001, before he was sworn in as clerk. His salary was about $62,000, city records show. He said in a previous interview he served in "every division" at the department, eventually becoming sergeant in 1993.

Motley is set to earn $64,643.76 from the police pension this year, according to Waukegan records. His annual increases get larger every year. City records show that in 2044, Motley would earn almost $143,600 from the police pension alone, along with the $58,090 he'd earn from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund under the News-Sun analysis.

When Motley is set to turn 75 in 2025, he would earn nearly $82,000 from the police pension and almost $39,800 from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.

Motley was elected mayor in 2013, defeating incumbent Mayor Robert Sabonjian and independent candidate Susana Figueroa in the general election. He beat Cunningham and state Sen. Terry Link in that year's Democratic primary.

A version of this article appeared in print on April 12, 2017, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Waukegan mayor will depart with a pair of pensions - Motley also worked more than 25 years as a police officer" —
Today's paperToday's paper | Subscribe